A Penny For Them
by Star24
Summary: NCIS: Kate and Tony's thoughts about things.
1. Keeping it Professional

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A Penny for Them by Star 24

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Disclaimer: Characters of Navy NCIS belong to Paramount Studios and Belisarius Productions. Don't own them or profit from them.

A series of vignettes of the characters thoughts.  


  
**Keeping it Professional**  
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A snippet from Kate's perspective. There's been a bit of sizzle evident between her and Tony in recent episodes and this is one take on what's running through her head.  
  
I sit and tell myself that I really should have learned my lesson about romantic involvement between colleagues. Tim and I really clicked, but I still wonder if our relationship didn't blind me to some little thing that I should have seen that might have saved his life.   
  
I don't want to ever be in that position again. Tim and I didn't really "work" together on a normal day-to day basis. This time around it could be that split second of distraction caused by drowning in that megawatt smile of his, or losing myself in those eyes, that results in his dying in front of me. If that happened I couldn't live with myself.   
  
That's what I tell myself every night on the way home from work. It's what I tell myself when I'm driving in to work in the morning. But then I get there and he's sitting at his terminal, hunting for a case so he can get out of a sexual harassment seminar, or googling the web for info on Puerto Rico or some other exotic place he's dying to go to. And I feel that melting sensation inside when he looks up and sends me one of those patented grins of his. I wonder exactly how many females he's dazzled with that smile, but at the same time I don't really want to know.  
  
So I say something snarky to him, just to be sure he doesn't pick up on my reaction. It's only hormones I tell myself. Anthony Dinozzo is one gorgeous male specimen, and any woman who didn't react to being the recipient of one of his looks or smiles would have to be either dead or gay. I think so far I've managed to keep him off the track. He seems to be buying my story that I think of him as a brother. At least I hope he is. Even if he doesn't, I'm not going there. I can't go through that again. Maybe someday if one or both of us quits this line of work, it would be something to consider.   
  
Until then, the most I can do is be a friend to him. I'll be there for him when he has one of his attacks of insecurity over Gibb's treatment of him, and I'll even play matchmaker the way I did for him and Paula. Even though when I went home that night, I couldn't help thinking about where they were and what they were doing.   
  
There's no room in this job for entanglements between agents. Gibbs was right about that. Aside from that, Tony is a dangerous guy to fall victim to. I don't think that commitment or long term are words that even remotely apply to him.   
  
So we're just friends, colleagues, brother-sister. That's the best thing for everyone. Who knows, if I tell myself that enough times I might even start to believe it. 

  
  



	2. Why I Can't Like You

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A Penny for Them by Star 24

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Disclaimer: Characters of Navy NCIS belong to Paramount Studios and Belisarius Productions. Don't own them or profit from them.

A series of vignettes of the characters thoughts.  


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Why I Can't Like You

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Tony's thoughts after Marine Down**.**  
  
"I knew there was a reason I liked you, Kate." Damn. What the hell are you thinkin', Dinozzo? Good thing Gibbs was there and she took it as part of our joke over revenging ourselves on him for my cap and her PDA. Kate is one sharp cookie and you don't want her getting any ideas about, well about anything.   
  
Let her keep thinking that you are the worst horndog to walk the face of the earth, a sucker for anything in skirts. That's safe. Kate is not the kind of female you want to get yourself involved with. She's too smart. And underneath that tough exterior she's too…soft. She could get hurt too easily. One of your specialties with women. Besides, you know from experience, what happens when you hook up with the smart ones. Sooner or later they figure out the real deal about you, underneath that playboy façade the world gets to see.   
  
Abby's smart, too. But Abby's safe, somehow. Sure there are sparks there and she probably wouldn't be averse to some fun and games sometime. But she's different. Stronger somehow. With Abby it'd be a short-term deal and then she'd be off, marching to her very own drummer. You gotta respect that about Abby. She takes life on her own terms.   
  
Kate though. She tries to put on this tough façade. But underneath she's all soft and vulnerable. It really shows when she deals with a vic's families or friends like the mother of that wacko game player, or the wife of the mummy. I bet she was all sweet sympathy when they interviewed the Marine wife who got that phone call from her dead husband. At least Gibbs didn't make me go on that one with her.   
  
Nope, Kate Todd is dangerous. You knew that when Gibbs walked into that room in Colombia, depending on us to have his back. Your mind should have been 100% on what was going to go down, but instead one tiny part of it was worrying about Kate, and what would happen if the bag of shit had a chance to get a round or two off in her direction. It was okay this time, but one time it might not be. And it could be you who gets her killed in a moment of distraction.   
  
So ignore the looks she's been throwing you lately. Ignore the sparks that seem to be flying. And forget the warm feeling you get inside when you trade barbs with her or team up with her against our fearless leader. You know better than anyone the dangers of getting involved with a colleague. For both of you. So take her up on her brother-sister act and keep it light and simple. That way everyone will live to see another day.   



End file.
